Who is ‘we’? What Olympians reveal about the Malaysia we want

Malaysia's Olympic journey, as reflected by the Malaysia Olympians Association, offers a unique perspective on the nation's identity. When a Malaysian athlete wins a medal, the reaction is instinctive: "We won." However, the pronoun "we" prompts a deeper question: who exactly are we? For Noraseela Khalid, the association's president, the Olympic journey is about more than medals; it's about belonging and representing the nation in the world.

This theme is particularly relevant this year, as Malaysian athletes will compete in the Asian Games in Japan, bringing together competitors from different sports, states, and backgrounds under one flag.

The Malaysia Olympians Association's reflection on Malaysia Day highlights how Malaysian Olympians give us an unusual way of seeing what our shared identity looks like. Despite their diverse backgrounds, sport brings them together, representing Malaysia in the world's biggest sporting event. The success of athletes like Razif and Jalani Sidek, who won Malaysia's first Olympic medal in Barcelona in 1992, and Pandelela Rinong, who became the first Malaysian woman to win an Olympic medal, shows that Malaysians can stand on the podium at the world's biggest sporting event, a possibility that had seemed distant to earlier generations.

While sport doesn't uniquely unite Malaysians, it offers a temporary shift in perspective, where differences recede behind a shared purpose. For Noraseela, representing Malaysia through coaching, mentoring, teaching, business, or volunteering can also be part of an athlete's legacy beyond their athletic career. As Malaysian athletes from different sports and backgrounds compete at the Asian Games in Japan, they create a shared experience that is harder to find elsewhere, united by the same flag despite their diverse backgrounds and differing political views.